Jasper Smith, who owns the business Landscaping Services, has been fined and ordered to pay Ashford borough council’s legal costs, totalling £1,314, after the hearing at Folkestone Magistrates Court in November.
The court had heard how Mr Smith, the holder of an upper tier waste carriers licence, was previously investigated after a routine inspection of his property the year before which found he had dumped waste at Walter House Farm on more than a dozen occasions.
Council officers visited the farm in 2022 and discovered a large pile of waste including fence panels, planks and garden waste.
The owner, Geoffrey George, who did not hold a licence to accept waste, said it was due to be burnt and had accepted payment from Mr Smith for taking the waste.
As part of his waste carriers licence Mr Smith was legally obliged to take waste to an authorised site and to keep waste transfer notes for a period of up to two years.
Fines
As a result a £400 fixed penalty notice (FPN) was issued in October 2022 but he refused to pay the on-the-spot-fine, which subsequently went unpaid after 14 days, leaving the council with no choice but to prosecute.
The owner of Walter House Farm, Geoffrey George, was also issued with a FPN, which was paid within the timeframe allowed, according to the council.
New legislation has already increased the maximum fines for crimes such as fly-tipping.
In July the environment minister Rebecca Pow announced the maximum fine for FPNs will increase from £400 to £1,000 as part of a wider crack down on anti-social behaviour.
Subscribe for free